the country doctor-第54部分

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〃Why；　Adrien；〃　he　said；　〃you　certainly　are　set　up　again。　My　goodness！　Thanks　to　our　poor　friend；　you　have　almost　grown　into　a　man。　I　shall　not　forget　your　tutor　here；　Master　Butifer。〃

〃Oh！　colonel；〃　entreated　Butifer；　〃take　me　away　from　here　and　put　me　into　your　regiment。　I　cannot　trust　myself　now　that　M。　le　Maire　is　gone。　HE　wanted　me　to　go　for　a　soldier；　didn't　he？　Well；　then；　I　will　do　what　he　wished。　He　told　you　all　about　me；　and　you　will　not　be　hard　on　me；　will　you；　M。　Genestas？〃

〃Right；　my　fine　fellow；〃　said　Genestas；　as　he　struck　his　hand　in　the　other's。　〃I　will　find　something　to　suit　you；　set　your　mind　at　rest　And　how　is　it　with　you；　M。　le　Cure？〃

〃Well；　like　every　one　else　in　the　canton；　colonel；　I　feel　sorrow　for　his　loss；　but　no　one　knows　as　I　do　how　irreparable　it　is。　He　was　like　an　angel　of　God　among　us。　Fortunately；　he　did　not　suffer　at　all；　it　was　a　painless　death。　The　hand　of　God　gently　loosed　the　bonds　of　a　life　that　was　one　continual　blessing　to　us　all。〃

〃Will　it　be　intrusive　if　I　ask　you　to　accompany　me　to　the　cemetery？　I　should　like　to　bid　him　farewell；　as　it　were。〃

Genestas　and　the　cure；　still　in　conversation；　walked　on　together。　Butifer　and　Adrien　followed　them　at　a　few　paces　distance。　They　went　in　the　direction　of　the　little　lake；　and　as　soon　as　they　were　clear　of　the　town；　the　lieutenant…colonel　saw　on　the　mountain…side　a　large　piece　of　waste　land　enclosed　by　walls。

〃That　is　the　cemetery；〃　the　cure　told　him。　〃He　is　the　first　to　be　buried　in　it。　Only　three　months　before　he　was　brought　here；　it　struck　him　that　it　was　a　very　bad　arrangement　to　have　the　churchyard　round　the　church；　so；　in　order　to　carry　out　the　law；　which　prescribes　that　burial　grounds　should　be　removed　a　stated　distance　from　human　dwellings；　he　himself　gave　this　piece　of　land　to　the　commune。　We　are　burying　a　child；　poor　little　thing；　in　the　new　cemetery　to…day；　so　we　shall　have　begun　by　laying　innocence　and　virtue　there。　Can　it　be　that　death　is　after　all　a　reward？　Did　God　mean　it　as　a　lesson　for　us　when　He　took　these　two　perfect　natures　to　Himself？　When　we　have　been　tried　and　disciplined　in　youth　by　pain；　in　later　life　by　mental　suffering；　are　we　so　much　nearer　to　Him？　Look！　there　is　the　rustic　monument　which　has　been　erected　to　his　memory。〃

Genestas　saw　a　mound　of　earth　about　twenty　feet　high。　It　was　bare　as　yet；　but　dwellers　in　the　district　were　already　busily　covering　the　sloping　sides　with　green　turf。　La　Fosseuse；　her　face　buried　in　her　hands；　was　sobbing　bitterly；　she　was　sitting　on　the　pile　of　stones　in　which　they　had　planted　a　great　wooden　cross；　made　from　the　trunk　of　a　pine…tree；　from　which　the　bark　had　not　been　removed。　The　officer　read　the　inscription；　the　letters　were　large；　and　had　been　deeply　cut　in　the　wood。


D。　O。　M。

HERE　LIES

THE　GOOD　MONSIEUR　BENASSIS

THE　FATHER　OF　US　ALL

PRAY　FOR　HIM。


〃Was　it　you；　sir；〃　asked　Genestas；　〃who？〃

〃No；〃　answered　the　cure；　it　is　simply　what　is　said　everywhere；　from　the　heights　up　there　above　us　down　to　Grenoble；　so　the　words　have　been　carved　here。〃

Genestas　remained　silent　for　a　few　moments。　Then　he　moved　from　where　he　stood　and　came　nearer　to　La　Fosseuse；　who　did　not　hear　him；　and　spoke　again　to　the　cure。

〃As　soon　as　I　have　my　pension；〃　he　said；　〃I　will　come　to　finish　my　days　here　among　you。〃



ADDENDUM

The　following　personage　appears　in　other　stories　of　the　Human　Comedy。

Murat；　Joachim；　Prince　　　The　Vendetta　　　The　Gondreville　Mystery　　　Colonel　Chabert　　　Domestic　Peace





End